Latest news with #PalestinianIslamist
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
UN agency says 77 trucks with aid goods were stormed in Gaza
A large number of starving people in the Gaza Strip have stopped, stormed and looted 77 trucks carrying aid goods from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) on their way to distribution centres, the Rome-based agency posted on the platform X on Saturday. "After nearly 80 days of a total blockade, communities are starving - and they are no longer willing to watch food pass them by," the statement said. "To restore hope, ease fear and prevent further chaos, we must flood the communities with food - now. Only consistent large-scale aid can rebuild trust," the WFP wrote. The WFP stated that it is capable of doing so: "WFP has enough food to feed all 2.2 [million] people for 2 months," the post on X further stated. However, this requires safe transport routes in the Gaza Strip, faster approval procedures on the Israeli side and ultimately a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, which has been ongoing for almost 20 months. After a blockade of aid deliveries lasting several months, Israel has been allowing a small amount of goods into the sealed-off coastal strip for a few days. The blockade was intended to increase pressure on the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement to release the remaining hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the government accused Hamas of stealing aid goods to make money, which Hamas denies.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Radiohead's Thom Yorke Releases Statement on Israel and Gaza
Thom Yorke, June 2022 (Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns) Thom Yorke has released a statement about Israel and the war in Gaza. The Radiohead and Smile frontman began his statement by acknowledging the pro-Palestine concertgoer who shouted at him about the war during an Australian show last year. 'Some guy shouting at me from the dark last year when I was picking up a guitar to sing the final song alone in front of 9000 people in Melbourne didn't really seem like the best moment to discuss the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,' Yorke shared. 'Afterwards I remained in shock that my supposed silence was somehow being taken as complicity, and I struggled to find an adequate way to respond to this and to carry on with the rest of the shows on the tour.' Yorke continued by stating his opposition to Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his government. (Around the time Radiohead last performed in Israel, in 2017, Yorke also made clear his opposition to Netanyahu.) 'I think Netanyahu and his crew of extremists are totally out of control and need to be stopped, and that the international community should put all the pressure it can on them to cease,' the musician wrote. 'Their excuse of self-defence has long since worn thin and has been replaced by a transparent desire to take control of Gaza and the West Bank permanently.' Additionally, Yorke called the blockade of aid to Gaza 'horrific.' Yorke also condemned Hamas, admonishing the Palestinian Islamist group that governs the Gaza Strip for the October 7, 2023, attacks that precipitated the Israeli military's offensive in the region. 'Why did Hamas choose the truly horrific acts of October 7th?' he asked. 'The answer seems obvious, and I believe Hamas chooses too to hide behind the suffering of its people, in an equally cynical fashion for their own purposes.' For much of the rest of his note, Yorke discussed the largely online conversations about Israel and Palestine. 'I sympathize completely with the desire to 'do something' when we are witnessing such horrific suffering on our devices every day. It completely makes sense,' he said. 'But I now think it is a dangerous illusion to believe reposting, or one or two line messages are meaningful, especially if it is to condemn your fellow human beings. There are unintended consequences.' The musician also made reference to 'those i work with,' likely alluding to his Radiohead and Smile bandmate Jonny Greenwood, who has been a subject of interest with regard to the war in Gaza. Greenwood is married to Sharona Katan, an Israeli artist of Egyptian and Iraqi descent, and he has collaborated closely with the Israeli musician Dudu Tassa. The musicians also recently had two UK concerts canceled after pressure from the the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. Find Thom Yorke's full statement below. Some guy shouting at me from the dark last year when I was picking up a guitar to sing the final song alone in front of 9000 people in Melbourne didn't really seem like the best moment to discuss the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Afterwards I remained in shock that my supposed silence was somehow being taken as complicity, and I struggled to find an adequate way to respond to this and to carry on with the rest of the shows on the tour. That silence, my attempt to show respect for all those who are suffering and those who have died, and to not trivialize it in a few words, has allowed other opportunistic groups to use intimidation and defamation to fill in the blanks, and I regret giving them this chance. This has had a heavy toll on my mental health. I would hope that for anyone who has ever listened to a note of the music of my band or any of the music i have created over the years, or looked at the artwork or read any of the lyrics, it would be self-evident that I could not possibly support any form of extremism or dehumanization of others. All i see in a lifetime's worth of work with my fellow musicians and artists is pushing against such things, trying to create work that goes beyond what it means to be controlled, coerced, threatened, to suffer, to be intimidated .. and instead to encourage critical thinking beyond borders, the commonality of love and experience and free creative expression. Sounds naff … but true. For others let me fill in the blanks now, so we're nice and clear. I think Netanyahu and his crew of extremists are totally out of control and need to be stopped, and that the international community should put all the pressure it can on them to cease. Their excuse of self-defence has long since worn thin and has been replaced by a transparent desire to take control of Gaza and the West Bank permanently. I believe this ultra-nationalist administration has hidden itself behind a terrified & grieving people and used them to deflect any criticism, using that fear and grief to further their ultra-nationalist agenda with terrible consequences, as we see now with the horrific blockade of aid to Gaza. While our lives tick along as normal these endless thousands of innocent human souls are still being expelled from the earth… for what? At the same time the unquestioning Free Palestine refrain that surrounds us all does not answer the simple question of why the hostages have still not all been returned? For what possible reason? Why did Hamas choose the truly horrific acts of October 7th? The answer seems obvious, and I believe Hamas chooses too to hide behind the suffering of its people, in an equally cynical fashion for their own purposes. I also think there is a further and extremely important point to make. Social media witch-hunts (nothing new) on either side pressurizing artists and whoever they feel like that week to make statements etc do very little except heighten tension, fear and over-simplification of what are complex problems that merit proper face to face debate by people who genuinely wish the killing to stop and an understanding to be found. This kind of deliberate polarization does not serve our fellow human beings and perpetuates a constant 'us and them' mentality. It destroys hope and maintains a sense of isolation, the very things that extremists use to maintain their position. We facilitate their hiding in plain sight if we assume that the extremists and the people they claim to represent are one and the same, indivisible. If our world is ever able to move on from these dark times and find peace it will only be when we rediscover what we share in common, and the extremists are sent back to sit in the darkness from whence they came. I sympathize completely with the desire to 'do something' when we are witnessing such horrific suffering on our devices every day. It completely makes sense. But I now think it is a dangerous illusion to believe reposting, or one or two line messages are meaningful, especially if it is to condemn your fellow human beings. There are unintended consequences. It is shouting from the darkness. It is not looking people in the eye when you speak. It is making dangerous assumptions. It is not debate and it is not critical thinking. Importantly, it is open to online manipulation of all kinds, both mechanistic and political. What is the alternative? I can't answer that easily. I do know in communities around the globe this subject is now dangerously toxic and we are in uncharted waters. We need to turn back. I am sure that, to this point, what I have written here will in no way satisfy those who choose to target myself or those i work with, they will spend time picking holes and looking for reasons to continue, we are an opportunity not to be missed, no doubt, and by either side. I have written this in the simple hope that i can join with the many millions of others praying for this suffering, isolation and death to stop, praying that we can collectively regain our humanity and dignity and our ability to reach understanding .. that one day soon this darkness will have passed. Thom Yorke Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
German-Israeli leader slams far-right Israeli ministers for Gaza plan
The president of the German-Israeli Society in Berlin has strongly criticized the far-right members of Israel's government for comments he says amount to calls for "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza. "My job to defend Israel is becoming more and more difficult because there are voices in the Israeli government which are totally unacceptable," Beck said in an interview with the Israeli television channel Kan, which is to be aired on Friday. "If ministers are calling for starving the population in Gaza, or for 'sending them abroad,' which is nothing else than ethnic cleansing, this makes our task very difficult," he added. The 64-year-old, a well-known supporter of Israel, was referring to recent statements by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Smotrich recently said he wants Gaza "completely destroyed" and that residents should be concentrated in a "humanitarian zone" in the far south of the coastal territory. From there, he said, they should leave Gaza in large numbers for other countries. Ben-Gvir spoke out against the resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip after Israel's blockade. The Israeli government rejects the accusation of ethnic cleansing and maintains that the military operations in the Gaza Strip are aimed at destroying the infrastructure of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. When asked by Kan what message he had for the two ministers, Beck said: "I would ask them to stop the racist talk to all Palestinians, and make it clear that Israel is fighting Hamas, and not Arabs."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Macron calls for tougher line on Israel if Gaza crisis not eased
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a tougher line to be taken on Israel if it does not act to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. "In the coming hours and days, if there is no response that corresponds to the demands of the humanitarian situation, the collective position will of course have to be hardened," Macron said while on a visit to Singapore on Friday. Everything depended on the decisions of the Israeli government, he said. "It is very evident today that we cannot allow the situation to continue," Macron said, adding that the blockade of humanitarian aid was leading to an unsustainable situation on the ground. Distributing water, food and medication was a priority, as well as allowing the injured to leave the region, he said. Israel prevented aid from reaching the Gaza Strip after it resumed military operations on March 18 following a temporary ceasefire. The stated aim was to pressure the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to release the remaining hostages seized on October 7, 2023. The blockade has been eased over the past week, leading to chaotic scenes in the Gaza Strip as desperate residents attempt to access food. Macron once again stressed the need for a political solution to the conflict, calling for the release of all the hostages and the demilitarization of Hamas to facilitate the creation of a Palestinian state. A security architecture has to be created for the entire region, he said. The Israeli Foreign Ministry criticized Macron heavily for his remarks, writing on X: "President Macron's Crusade Against the Jewish State Continues." "The facts do not interest Macron. There is no humanitarian blockade. That is a blatant lie," it continued. The ministry said Israel was working to facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli military say another rocket intercepted from Yemen
The Israeli military stated on Thursday that it has once again intercepted a rocket fired from Yemen. In several areas of Israel, including the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv and other locations in the centre of the country, alarm sirens sounded. According to official reports, there were initially no reports of injuries or significant damage. Due to the rocket alarm, the final of the Israeli football cup had to be interrupted. According to the Israeli TV channel N12, about 30,000 football fans were in the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv. A few minutes after the alarm, the players from the teams Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Be'er Sheva were able to return to the pitch and continue the match. In recent days, there have been repeated alarms in various locations in Israel due to rockets launched from Yemen. Most of these are intercepted. However, three weeks ago, a projectile hit near the international airport by Tel Aviv for the first time. Since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, the pro-Iranian Houthi militia has been regularly attacking Israel with rockets and drones, which they claim is an expression of their solidarity with the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement. After the end of the ceasefire in mid-March, the attacks increased. Israel's air force responded with airstrikes on militia targets in Yemen, such as in the port city of Hodeidah.
